The topic of using hyphens in domain names is one of the oldest SEO topics we have in this space. Heck, back in 2004, SEOs said there was a specific Google ranking algorithm that filtered out hyphenated domains (Google didn’t, by the way).
More recently, Google’s John Mueller said he wasn’t a fan of hyphenated domain names for keywords. But at the same time, he recently said that hyphens in domain names are not a sign of low quality, so Google doesn’t factor it into their ranking algorithm.
Now, John Mueller said in one Reddit thread that nowadays with fewer domain names available, it might not be such a bad prospect to have. He wrote: “It used to be that hyphenated domain names were considered (by users? or by SEOs who assumed users would do it? A long time ago) less serious, as they might imply that you weren’t able to- ho. get the domain name with fewer hyphens.” “Nowadays there are a lot of top-level domains, so it’s less important,” he added.
Next, he says, build something you’re proud of. He wrote:
My main recommendation is to choose something long-term (assuming that’s what you’re aiming for) and don’t focus too much on keywords (because life is too short to box yourself into a corner – do good things, fix the course). time, don’t let a domain name limit what you do online). The web is full of awkward, low-effort keyword-focused shots made for SEO: Make something really awesome that people are asking for by name. If that takes a hyphen in the name, go for it.
So maybe it’s better to come up with a cool brand that hasn’t been taken yet and go with that, rather than using a really long hyphenated domain name. Sticking keywords into your domain name probably won’t do you much in terms of rankings, but I’m sure the debate won’t end today…
Discussion in the forum a Reddit.
